Francine is strengthening; Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings issued

Francine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the sixth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. 

Francine is a tropical storm with max winds of 65 mph. It’s slowly moving north-northwest in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

The storm will slowly move off the coast of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas during the next day or so. It will then turn toward the northeast and speed up as it heads to the central Gulf Coast.

The tropical-storm-force winds extend 160 miles outward from the center, meaning this is a large storm and impacts will be far from the center of the storm.

It’s forecast to strengthen into a hurricane and could become a hurricane late Monday night or early Tuesday. It is expected to make landfall around Louisiana sometime late Wednesday.

Regardless of development, this system will bring heavy rainfall to parts of the Gulf Coast and Deep South beginning Tuesday night. However, there is still uncertainty in the exact track and specific impacts. 

The highest rainfall totals look to be around Louisiana and up the Mississippi River Valley, where flooding is possible through mid-to-late week.

Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings are issued for parts of the western and central Gulf Coast, and Hurricane Watches and Warnings are in effect across southern Louisiana.

Here’s a look at the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season so far.

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